Tuesday, December 07, 2004

You Can't Always Get What You Want

I wanted my heroine in FINISHING TOUCH to be singing those words at the top of the first chapter, but Silhouette didn't even want me to try to get them cleared for inclusion. Ah, well, it was the point of the book, that you might not get what you want, but if you try real hard, sometimes you'll get what you need.

I've mentioned my church before. We just fed 300 people for Thanksgiving. Now we are making Christmas for two families, each of which have three children. And we are packing 13 Sunshine Boxes for members or family of members who are in need.

The minister tells us every Sunday to give what we can afford, and no more, and to give "as we can." There are three little girls who, God willing, will have new dresses made just for them. A friend of mind died a few months about an left me yards of fabric and scads of patterns. All I have to do is provide the skill to sew dresses together.

If you have someone in the service in Afghanistan, they need hard candy--chocolate doesn't make the trip. And they like to give away cheap Bic pens (bought in quantity at an office supply). Kids beg for them. They can't go to school unless they have a pen. They tell of a guy who gave a little boy a crayon, and the boy said, in English, "I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

You can't always get what you want, but if you give to other people, you'll get what you need.